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[note: apologies for the saccarine level. tred carefully if you're diabetic.]
Relationships are a tricky thing (if you know where this is going, bonus points!). I just thought I'd let you Jatraqueros know about my relationship with Bernard.
The two of us met at Presidential Classroom (Jeni, you're beloved!), in a book signing line. I wasn't even talking to him--he turned around and talked to me. That was on Sunday, and for the rest of the week, we hung out whenever we could--I was in Caucas 2, he was in Caucas 4. On Friday (everyone left on Saturday) they put on a dance for us... Bernard and I didn't dance. We sat in the back and talked for what seemed like hours.
Finally, we had to go upstairs to sleep. The two of us were somewhat reluctant to part (we were both too shy to say anything to one another), but fate stepped in at 4:45 in the morning in the form of a fire alarm. The two of us sat up in the halls (as opposite sexes weren't allowed in rooms), and when my bus left for the airport home, Bernard came down to see me off, and he kissed me on the cheek.
I didn't think it was possible, but that single kiss threw me into more of a tailspin than anything that had ever happened to me. I fretted for weeks over what that kiss meant. My best friend A (now my roommate in college), calmed me as best she could, but to no avail. Bernard and I were excanging emails and IMing one another, and he was sending complete mixed signals. Sometimes blant flirting. However, I sometimes tease my guy friends to what looks like flirting to the untrained eye. I had no idea if this relationship was the same.
On February 4 (and I only remember the date because I printed it out), I got an email from Bernard in which he told me that he loved me. I'm still walking on air from it. At that time, he lived in Oregon and I in Louisiana, so our long-distance relationship consisted of lots and lots of emails and IMs and the very occassional phone call. I told my parents that we were dating in April, and they allowed me one phone call a week.
During this summer, Bernard began attending Beloit college, for their summer CLS program (the man's a masochist, I swear: he took a year's worth of Mandarin in the span of nine WEEKS). It was sad, we were estatic about being in the same time zone. We both got our own cells, with free minutes after nine so we could talk almost all night if we wanted.
CLS was a lifesaver: There was a week's break between the end of CLS and the beginning of school for him. He managed to secure a plane ticket, and my parents (God love them) allowed for a boy they had never met to stay for a week in their house, on the grounds that if I trusted him then he must be a good person. That week was... Amazing. There's no other way to describe it. My boyfriend, the one person that I loved above all, was with me. During that one week we became so close, we could literally feel our souls wrapping around one another. At the end of the week he left, and we both still felt each other's presence, even though we were miles apart.
This past week, neither one of us couldn't take it anymore. He had a week off before midterms, and he came down to see me. While he was down, he asked me to marry him. I accepted.
We're both young, we both know that. We're only freshmen in college, so we're going to wait until we both graduate and Bernard goes into grad school. It'll be tough, waiting for graduation and even after when we'll have all those student loans to pay off, but we'll manage.
So thank you to all of you who've read through this thread.
AND I'M ENGAGED! To a wonderful, honest, amazing man. Bernard, I love you.
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I can't think of anything better to say right now than "wow!" and I've already said that to both of you. So, congratulations! You're both very sweet and I'm very happy for you. Posts: 4292 | Registered: Jan 2001
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I've been busy using exclamation points at Bernie in the chat room, but I have to offer congratulations to both of you. Bernie is, naturally, a great catch -- and you sound so intelligent and articulate that I have difficulty believing you're an American citizen. From what little I can tell, Bernie's made as great a catch as you have.
Young and in love. This is just so damn sweet.
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
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:: looks down and shuffles feet :: I'm still trying to get my head wrapped around the "We" part of "We're engaged." Small note though, we did dance, though...only with the cohersion of one of my roommates (thank you Jeni for introducing me to the Presidential Classroom). I know that quite a few of you are going to say that we are too young to be married, and we both agree whole-heartedly, right now, we are engaged, and not even officially (saying that neither of us can afford rings). We plan on finishing our schooling at our seperate schools because I love Beloit (yet again, thank you Jeni), and she loves LSU (where the uber-cool Toretha is also at). We both have the thought of finishing our education before marriage beaten into us, thusly tis very important to us. Afterwards, we will live closer together to see if we can deal with each other on a daily basis before we finally marry. At the moment, I'm rather fuzzy with the euphoria. I love you, dearest Maribeth. Satyagraha
Posts: 1986 | Registered: Apr 2001
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Lalo: My mother was an English minor. I've had proper grammar crammed down my throat since I was two. Posts: 873 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I'm proud of you for making the right decision and for finding each other. May you have all the happiness you dream of!
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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Bernard....as in our Oregon Bernard? Engaged? Adoring girl? This is so exciting!!! Bernard!!! I'd give you a hug if you were close by!! (btw, I thought of you this last weekend...guess where I was??? Yep! Canby! Your favorite place!)
But seriously folks, this is great news and I'm so excited for you both! Congratulations!
I wish you the best of luck. Even if something awful happens, remember how bloody happy you were to be in love.
Right here I could wax poetic for a while about how wonderful that is, but I'm sure you already know. So, enjoy!
Posts: 1592 | Registered: Jan 2001
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And how wonderfully, marvelously caring you are about each other. The waiting part is hard, I know, but you will not regret it. It's one of the most tangible ways to say "I love you so much that I'm willing to do what's best." Very cool!
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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We want pics from the wedding, in a few years or whenever.
One side note: Presidential Classroom, I reintroduced this to my school during my senior year, and was the only person that went. It was a fantastic experience. I met Vice President Bush amongst others (does that date me? No. Just because I was doing the Presidential Classroom before you two were born, aaaaahhhhg.)
I have to go now. I'm feeling a bit depressed for some reason.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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Congrats to both of you. Especially for having the good sense to wait. You are awfully young, you know. Posts: 2454 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Bernard and I would like to thank all of you who have posted (and will? please?) giving us congratulations. It really means a lot to us, y'all giving us support, especially since we are so young, we'll be the first to admit it.
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You know, invitations WOULD be nice. All these Hatrackers keep getting married, but nobody ever asks me to send them gifts....
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Awww, that is a very sweet love story. Thanks for sharing it. Congratulations and the best of luck to you both, Bernard and Mayday!! Morbo Posts: 327 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Wowowowowow! Bernard and Mayday! I'm so happy for you guys! This is so wonderful! <gets tears in eyes> I'm SO coming! So I hope you do have it in Louisiana. <laughs>
Ah, I love you wonderful khe khe! I'm so happy you are happy! And I'm looking forward to getting to know my sis-in-law better! Welcome to the family, Maribeth! We are so delighted to have you! Posts: 968 | Registered: Sep 2003
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Let me say: AWESOME!!! I know how good it feels to be young and in love (and hopefully "young and engaged with the intention of waiting" soon) ::hint, hint:: Lol...JK...no pressure Emp...I love you!
But yeah, MUCH CONGRATS!!! May it all work out and may time fly by til the time you get married.
Posts: 8 | Registered: Oct 2003
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And me again, with a shameless link of Bernard and me. This is the only picture I have of the two of us, and yes, I really look that white next to him in real life, that is not a photography glitch.
Posts: 873 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Congratulations to both of you. Long-distance relationships can be tough (I know from experience), but it's so worth it when you've found the right person (which I also know from experience).
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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By the way, we got an All-Clad grille pan as a wedding present, and it is pretty freakin' awesome.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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